Vietnam's Dairy Pride: Vinamilk Makes Headlines at Growth Asia Summit with 6-HMO Breakthrough

SINGAPORE, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Growth Asia Summit 2025, which took place from July 15–17 in Singapore, Vinamilk was honored to be the only Vietnamese company invited as a keynote speaker. The Growth Asia Summit is the largest forum for growth opportunities in the food, beverage, and nutrition industries in Asia. The brand made a remarkable impression with its innovative 6-HMO infant formula, setting a new standard in pediatric nutrition and paving the way for the dairy industry in Asia.

Vinamilk's presence at the Summit is symbolic; it reflects the nation's transformation from a country once struggling with post-war milk shortages into a rising nutrition powerhouse with Vinamilk at its forefront. The company currently ranks sixth globally for dairy brand value and was recognized as the most valuable food and beverage brand in Southeast Asia in Brand Finance's Food and Drink 2023 ranking. Additionally, it is the only Vietnamese dairy company featured in the Fortune Southeast Asia 500 ranking (2024), underscoring its strong market presence in the region.

In Vietnam, around 55% of infants are not exclusively breastfed during their first six months^[1]. This means many babies may miss out on the full range of benefits found in breast milk, especially human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which support gut and immune development. To address this gap, Vinamilk pioneered Vietnam's first formula containing six HMOs^[2]–nutrients naturally found in breast milk—to enhance both digestive and immune health. This solution is particularly impactful in a country where nearly 60% of working mothers struggle to balance both work and family commitments.

This challenge is not unique to Vietnam. Across Asia, exclusive breastfeeding rates remain modest, reaching only 52.9% in the Asia-Pacific and 48.3% in Southeast Asia^[3] primarily due to lifestyle shifts, work demands, and social pressure. This is why nutrition solutions that closely mimic breast milk, such as Vinamilk's 6-HMO innovation, received extensive attention from the Summit's expert community.

"I commend Vinamilk's breakthrough not only for advancing nutritional science with Vietnam's first 6-HMO formula, but also for its empathetic, consumer-centric approach. This is a valuable contribution to the Summit's mission of seeking comprehensive health solutions—not just in terms of nutrition, but also in creating positive social impact, especially for women and children," said Gary Scattergood, Editor-in-Chief of FoodNavigator Asia and NutraIngredients Asia, the Summit's organizing entities.

Once a market dominated by imported dairy products, Vietnam is now home to Vinamilk, the first local brand not only to catch up, but to lead regional innovation in pediatric nutrition. While the market had plateaued at 5-HMO formulas since 2021, Vinamilk chose not to compromise and instead accelerated its R&D efforts to break this ceiling.

In 2023, Vinamilk entered strategic partnerships with six leading global nutrition companies (DSM – Switzerland, Novonesis, formerly Chr. Hansen – Denmark, Beneo – Germany, Gnosis – Italy, AAK – Sweden, and Kanematsu – Japan) to enhance scientific capability and innovation in infant formula development. The launch of the Optimum line, powered by a 6-HMO formula that accounts for approximately 58% of the total HMO composition found in natural breast milk^[4], exemplifies the successful integration of research and international collaboration.

The 6-HMO innovation brings significant benefits for infant digestion and immunity. It mimics critical oligosaccharides in breast milk, fosters the development of beneficial gut bacteria in infants and protects against pathogens. The formulation also includes both difucosyllactose (DFL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL), two HMOs that are rarely found together in other commercial infant formulas.

Nguyen Quang Tri, Chief Marketing Officer of Vinamilk, stated, "Our 6-HMO breakthrough not only raises nutritional standards, but also helps support parents navigating breastfeeding challenges. At Vinamilk, we believe that when parents are happy, a child's development is more complete. We believe this message doesn't just apply to Vietnam – it resonates with millions of parents across Asia."

Vinamilk's contribution to the Growth Asia Summit 2025 signals a new chapter in Vietnam's innovation journey. From a country that once had no dairy industry and lagged in nutrition science, Vietnam, through Vinamilk, is stepping into the global spotlight, confidently shaping new standards in pediatric care: proactive, empathetic, and pioneering.

For more information, please visit: https://www.vinamilk.com.vn/en.

[1] UNICEF, 2021 [2] As of March 25, 2025, all Optimum Gold and Optimum Colos products by Vinamilk are the first infant formula and pediatric nutritional milk products in Vietnam to include 6 HMOs inspired by components found in breast milk. (CI Research market report) [3] Asia and The Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023, Chapter 3, Section 3.2 [4] The 6-HMO formula in Optimum accounts for 58% of total HMOs found in human breast milk.

[1] UNICEF, 2021

[2] As of March 25, 2025, all Optimum Gold and Optimum Colos products by Vinamilk are the first infant formula and pediatric nutritional milk products in Vietnam to include 6 HMOs inspired by components found in breast milk. (CI Research market report)

[3] Asia and The Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023, Chapter 3, Section 3.2

[4] The 6-HMO formula in Optimum accounts for 58% of total HMOs found in human breast milk.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Vietnam's Dairy Pride: Vinamilk Makes Headlines at Growth Asia Summit with 6-HMO Breakthrough

Vietnam's Dairy Pride: Vinamilk Makes Headlines at Growth Asia Summit with 6-HMO Breakthrough

Vietnam's Dairy Pride: Vinamilk Makes Headlines at Growth Asia Summit with 6-HMO Breakthrough

Vietnam's Dairy Pride: Vinamilk Makes Headlines at Growth Asia Summit with 6-HMO Breakthrough

• CATL opens Middle East's first NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh —currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China.
• The facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions.
• It also functions as a regional ecosystem hub linking diverse stakeholders and resources to drive industrial synergy and sustainable growth.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 10, 2026, CATL opened the Middle East's first and currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China—the NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh—strengthening its after-sales presence in the Middle East and supporting the region's shift toward cleaner energy systems.

The opening comes as Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East advance ambitious electrification and decarbonization goals under Vision 2030 and similar national initiatives. Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, The Kingdom has set a goal to transition 30% of all vehicles in Riyadh to electric by 2030, as part of a larger strategy to reduce emissions in the capital city by 50%. Sustainability policies are also driving the shift to electric equipment, such as promoting the use of electric forklifts, while encouraging the use of green energy on farms under the Saudi Green Initiative. However, progress is tempered by persistent challenges, including longstanding oil dependency, surging electricity demand, extreme climatic conditions, and limited charging and service infrastructure.

Strategically designed to overcome these obstacles, the Riyadh facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions. 

Covering more than 7,000 square meters, the Riyadh center combines exhibition areas, diagnostics and maintenance zones, refurbishment facilities, training spaces, and a customer lounge. It is designed to serve not only as a localized service hub for the region and a showcase of CATL's system-level capabilities across electric mobility, energy storage, and intelligent electrification, but also as a platform that links diverse resources, fostering industrial synergy across the ecosystem.

A full-lifecycle approach to new energy services

Relying on CATL's deep R&D and extreme manufacturing capabilities, NING SERVICE Experience Center provides customers with full-lifecycle services that encompass battery diagnostics, repair, maintenance, rework, training, recycling, aftermarket logistics and warehousing. Its services span over seven major product categories—from passenger and commercial vehicles to energy storage systems—along with diverse repair scenarios, setting a new benchmark for new energy service delivery in the region.

Leveraging CATL's advanced diagnostics and repair expertise, along with established service processes, the center's comprehensive after-sales services

helps enterprise customers reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and extend asset life, providing greater certainty around long-term performance and residual value while reducing long-term ownership costs and delivering more cost-effective and reliable services for end users.

Advancing localized operations and capability building

The Riyadh center serves as a key platform for CATL's localized operations in the Middle East, supporting talent development and long-term local value creation. Through dedicated training facilities, CATL builds after-sales and technical expertise in the new energy sector, contributing to skilled employment and knowledge transfer across the Middle East. Globally, NING SERVICE operates 10 training centers, totalling 2,300 square meters, and has certified more than 9,700 new energy after-sales professionals through partnerships with vocational institutions.

Beyond talent development, CATL is deepening its localization strategy by reinforcing local infrastructure and building ecosystem partnerships. CATL is in discussion with top-tier local industry players—including fuel network operators to rapidly provide green electricity to gas stations and major infrastructure companies to electrify their truck fleets, as well as energy companies to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions.

These initiatives not only bolster CATL's local service capabilities and market confidence, but also by enabling key partners, jointly drive the scaled adoption of comprehensive new energy solutions across the Middle East.

"As a leading energy company in Saudi Arabia, we see tremendous opportunities in energy transformation. For instance, we plan to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions at our gas stations and electrify forklifts to reduce reliance on oil. We look forward to collaborating with top players like CATL to drive this transition forward," said Ahmed Ibrahim，Assistant General Manager For Procurement of Al Drees, a leading provider of petroleum and logistics services in Saudi Arabia.

"The launch of CATL's Riyadh aftermarket flagship underscores our shared commitment to driving the global energy transition. This milestone not only reflects the growing demand for sustainable solutions in Saudi Arabia but also embodies our collective vision for a cleaner, electrified future. As the investor behind the experience centre, we are confident that this partnership will accelerate electrification and strengthen the region's role in advancing the energy transition." said Lin Chaofan, CEO of F4S. 

Part of a global network

The Saudi Arabia opening builds on CATL's global service footprint, which includes more than 1,200 professional service stations across 76 countries and 73 spare-parts warehouses worldwide. CATL ranks No. 1 globally in spare parts inventory stocked with 100% genuine parts, with a total warehouse area of more than 370,000 square meters. To date, NING SERVICE has supported more than six million electric vehicles, providing professional after-sales services for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage customers.

A long-term commitment to the Middle East

Bruce Li, President of Quality System, Aftermarket Business, Battery Management System Department at CATL, said the Riyadh center reflects a strategic, long-term view of the region.

"Our decision to establish this center in Riyadh is not only a commercial choice, but a long-term commitment," Li said. "As the first NING SERVICE Experience Center in the Middle East, it is more than a service facility. It is a new energy aftermarket ecosystem hub that brings together advanced technology, professional training, and industry collaboration—effectively connecting diverse stakeholders and resources to foster deeper synergy and sustainable growth across the region. Starting from here, CATL will continue to expand its after-sales service network across the Middle East, align closely with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and support the region's energy transition through a reliable, end-to-end service system."

As the Middle East accelerates its shift toward electrification and energy storage adoption, CATL's expanded NING SERVICE presence is poised to deliver the technical reliability and sustained partnerships essential for this transformation.

 

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 10, 2026, CATL opened the Middle East's first and currently the largest new energy aftermarket facility outside China—the NING SERVICE Experience Center in Riyadh—strengthening its after-sales presence in the Middle East and supporting the region's shift toward cleaner energy systems.

The opening comes as Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East advance ambitious electrification and decarbonization goals under Vision 2030 and similar national initiatives. Taking Saudi Arabia as an example, The Kingdom has set a goal to transition 30% of all vehicles in Riyadh to electric by 2030, as part of a larger strategy to reduce emissions in the capital city by 50%. Sustainability policies are also driving the shift to electric equipment, such as promoting the use of electric forklifts, while encouraging the use of green energy on farms under the Saudi Green Initiative. However, progress is tempered by persistent challenges, including longstanding oil dependency, surging electricity demand, extreme climatic conditions, and limited charging and service infrastructure.

Strategically designed to overcome these obstacles, the Riyadh facility offers comprehensive full-lifecycle after-sales support, cultivates local technical talent and accelerates the deployment of advanced electrification and energy storage solutions. 

Covering more than 7,000 square meters, the Riyadh center combines exhibition areas, diagnostics and maintenance zones, refurbishment facilities, training spaces, and a customer lounge. It is designed to serve not only as a localized service hub for the region and a showcase of CATL's system-level capabilities across electric mobility, energy storage, and intelligent electrification, but also as a platform that links diverse resources, fostering industrial synergy across the ecosystem.

A full-lifecycle approach to new energy services

Relying on CATL's deep R&D and extreme manufacturing capabilities, NING SERVICE Experience Center provides customers with full-lifecycle services that encompass battery diagnostics, repair, maintenance, rework, training, recycling, aftermarket logistics and warehousing. Its services span over seven major product categories—from passenger and commercial vehicles to energy storage systems—along with diverse repair scenarios, setting a new benchmark for new energy service delivery in the region.

Leveraging CATL's advanced diagnostics and repair expertise, along with established service processes, the center's comprehensive after-sales services

helps enterprise customers reduce downtime, lower maintenance costs, and extend asset life, providing greater certainty around long-term performance and residual value while reducing long-term ownership costs and delivering more cost-effective and reliable services for end users.

Advancing localized operations and capability building

The Riyadh center serves as a key platform for CATL's localized operations in the Middle East, supporting talent development and long-term local value creation. Through dedicated training facilities, CATL builds after-sales and technical expertise in the new energy sector, contributing to skilled employment and knowledge transfer across the Middle East. Globally, NING SERVICE operates 10 training centers, totalling 2,300 square meters, and has certified more than 9,700 new energy after-sales professionals through partnerships with vocational institutions.

Beyond talent development, CATL is deepening its localization strategy by reinforcing local infrastructure and building ecosystem partnerships. CATL is in discussion with top-tier local industry players—including fuel network operators to rapidly provide green electricity to gas stations and major infrastructure companies to electrify their truck fleets, as well as energy companies to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions.

These initiatives not only bolster CATL's local service capabilities and market confidence, but also by enabling key partners, jointly drive the scaled adoption of comprehensive new energy solutions across the Middle East.

"As a leading energy company in Saudi Arabia, we see tremendous opportunities in energy transformation. For instance, we plan to deploy solar-plus-storage solutions at our gas stations and electrify forklifts to reduce reliance on oil. We look forward to collaborating with top players like CATL to drive this transition forward," said Ahmed Ibrahim，Assistant General Manager For Procurement of Al Drees, a leading provider of petroleum and logistics services in Saudi Arabia.

"The launch of CATL's Riyadh aftermarket flagship underscores our shared commitment to driving the global energy transition. This milestone not only reflects the growing demand for sustainable solutions in Saudi Arabia but also embodies our collective vision for a cleaner, electrified future. As the investor behind the experience centre, we are confident that this partnership will accelerate electrification and strengthen the region's role in advancing the energy transition." said Lin Chaofan, CEO of F4S. 

Part of a global network

The Saudi Arabia opening builds on CATL's global service footprint, which includes more than 1,200 professional service stations across 76 countries and 73 spare-parts warehouses worldwide. CATL ranks No. 1 globally in spare parts inventory stocked with 100% genuine parts, with a total warehouse area of more than 370,000 square meters. To date, NING SERVICE has supported more than six million electric vehicles, providing professional after-sales services for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and energy storage customers.

A long-term commitment to the Middle East

Bruce Li, President of Quality System, Aftermarket Business, Battery Management System Department at CATL, said the Riyadh center reflects a strategic, long-term view of the region.

"Our decision to establish this center in Riyadh is not only a commercial choice, but a long-term commitment," Li said. "As the first NING SERVICE Experience Center in the Middle East, it is more than a service facility. It is a new energy aftermarket ecosystem hub that brings together advanced technology, professional training, and industry collaboration—effectively connecting diverse stakeholders and resources to foster deeper synergy and sustainable growth across the region. Starting from here, CATL will continue to expand its after-sales service network across the Middle East, align closely with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and support the region's energy transition through a reliable, end-to-end service system."

As the Middle East accelerates its shift toward electrification and energy storage adoption, CATL's expanded NING SERVICE presence is poised to deliver the technical reliability and sustained partnerships essential for this transformation.

 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

CATL Opens Middle East's Largest New Energy Aftermarket Facility in Riyadh

CATL Opens Middle East's Largest New Energy Aftermarket Facility in Riyadh

CATL Opens Middle East's Largest New Energy Aftermarket Facility in Riyadh